Skip the Games: Make Cool Things

Inspired by Paul Graham and Peter Thiel

Photo by Johannes W on Unsplash

The types of people who thrive at large companies are often very different from those drawn to startups. While startups and large companies are both businesses, they are alike in the same way that humans and dolphins are both mammals — sharing some common structures but living in very different environments that require specific sets of abilities to thrive.

As companies grow, adding new people, roles, and departments — fewer people have their hands on the actual product or service offered. Organizations form, and just like tribes necessary to the human experience, they create division in the wake of serving our needs. Layer on the emergent governance and before long you can find yourself worried about who is reporting to who, how many reports you have, and if you’re sharing a floor with the ‘leadership team’. Yes, high school all over again.

You’ll know you’re working at the wrong place when the focus shifts from the very real game of building something for customers to artificial internal games. Paul Graham defines artificial games as ‘hackable’.

“Hackable is the default for any test imposed by an authority” — Paul Graha

In this essay, Paul highlights the explicit hoops students have to jump through to be attractive to colleges, but the same notion applies to the workplace. If our aim is to do meaningful work and have a bit of fun on the way, we need to be on the lookout for these artificial games and avoid them.

“Always prioritize the substance of what you’re doing. Don’t get caught up in the status, the prestige games. They’re endlessly dazzling, and they’re always endlessly disappointing.” — Peter Thiel

Games are fun. They give us a challenge and can bring people together and even provide an identity — but pick the right ones. Choose games that force growth in the right direction. The ones that give you energy and have natural laws of success. Ignore the internal games of title and power. Instead play the games of developing skills, knowing your customers best, building what they want, and helping them succeed.

“When I was a kid, you could either become an engineer and make cool things, or make lots of money by becoming an “executive.” Now you can make lots of money by making cool things.” — Paul Graham

Skip the games. Make cool things.

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